Barbara Yaffe: Business appeals for efforts to close gap between rich and poor in B.C.

Barbara Yaffe, Vancouver Sun COLUMNIST09.25.2013

An artist’s illustration of proposed Jumbo resort townsite. A new report by the business Council of B.C. and B.C. Chamber of Commerce argues civility in discussions about major projects would be a major boost for B.C.’s economy.

B.C.’s business community is appealing to government and the community to start collaborating to address the province’s biggest economic challenges.

“If we don’t start collaborating, we’re going to fail as an economy,” declares Greg D’Avignon, CEO of the Business Council of B.C.

The unusual outreach follows a $471,000 year-long study by the council and B.C.’s Chamber of Commerce.

The two groups on Wednesday announced a new project, the B.C. Agenda for Shared Prosperity, aimed at jump-starting the provincial economy and addressing a disconcerting gap between rich and poor.

They identify “young workers, First Nations and some parents with young children” as being most needy in a 51-page report that insists B.C. must become more productive and prosperous.

Their message makes good sense. B.C. has everything a province needs to be more prosperous than it is — resources galore, an educated workforce, great quality of life, good governance, location as an Asian gateway.

But it’s being held back by an assortment of opposing groups that regularly argue at cross purposes.

A Northern Gateway pipeline? Kinder Morgan’s expansion? Taseko’s Prosperity Mine? A Jumbo Glacier ski resort in the Kootenays? Hit the pause button on them all, because British Columbians are going to spend years fighting about their merits, possibly missing out entirely on these wealth-generating opportunities.

Stalled economic development is contributing to a situation in which B.C.’s productivity is 10 per cent lower than the national average. And we rank fourth on disposable income.

There’s no good reason for this, insist the business groups. But their study, unfortunately, is so broad in scope — touching on everything from pensions to early childhood education to transit fares — and requires action from so many players beyond the corporate community, it will be tough to turn their ideas into action.

The report is strongest in arguing for more civility in discussions around economic development. B.C.’s “generally poor state of public discourse” is identified as an impediment to advancing projects that would create jobs, boost productivity and fund services British Columbians say they want.

“Ways must be found to do better when it comes to identifying basic facts, acknowledging relevant concerns and finding common ground,” asserts the report.

• A body reporting to the public on important economic data. (The province recently wound down such a body, the B.C. Progress Board.)

The business groups — bolstered by an advisory council of eight prominent British Columbians including former finance ministers Andrew Petter and Carole Taylor — acknowledged their project required them to go beyond their usual areas of expertise.

But that’s appropriate, says D’Avignon. “My membership is partnering on infrastructure projects and hospitals. We deliver books to east side schools.”

The business groups did polling and held nine community gatherings, discovering considerable public disenchantment.

A third of respondents disagreed that they could advance financially by working hard. More than two-thirds described their trust in government as scant. And most said B.C. businesses don’t do enough to protect the environment or pay enough tax.

Perhaps the business groups gathered too much information. Their impact would be stronger had they focused narrowly on a few key points, and argued them hard.

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Barbara Yaffe: Business appeals for efforts to close gap between rich and poor in B.C.

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